I'll Be Home for Christmas
by Bekken
Summary: When your father's never home and you have to see your mother and sister cry, you get a little angry...


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I'll Be Home For Christmas

By Bekken

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Disclaimer: Not. Mine.

"We wish you a merry Christmas; we wish you a merry Christmas," Ginny sang softly as she decorated her Christmas tree.

"We WISH you a MERRY Cwismas an' a HAPPY New YEAR!" Maya, her nearly six-year-old, shouted as she entered, carefully holding a bowl of popcorn with two hands.

"Hello, darling," Ginny greeted. "Be careful now, set that down…Want to help Mummy?" Ginny began to tickle her little daughter. "Want to? Hmm?"

"Yes, yes," Maya squealed, her eyes lighting up.

"Well, let's see…Mummy can't _quite _reach the top of the tree to put this star on," Ginny told her. Maya gasped when she saw the glowing, glittering gold star.

"Ooh, Mummy, it's so _pretty_!" she said. "Can I put it up there? Can you lift me up?"

Ginny nodded, and lifted the child as high as she could. With a satisfied smile, she placed the star reverently at the top. Lowering Maya, Ginny took a step back. "I think it's the best tree we've ever had," she commented.

"This is gonna be the bestest Cwismas _ever_!" Maya cried, leaping up and down.

"Yeah, right." The voice of Ginny's son, William, sounded from the doorway. "How is this Christmas going to be any different from last Christmas? Or the Christmas before?"

Ginny closed her eyes. Her son was just at the age that he wanted to do nothing but rebel, and many of his remarks were quite cutting.

"What do you mean by that, Will?" she asked, trying to be neutral.

"Simple. We'll decorate the tree, we'll eat popcorn, and we'll read Christmas stories. During the night you'll sneak presents under the tree, and we'll get whatever it is we've wanted, and then we'll be _thankful_ that Dad's never here because he just makes so much money. Tomorrow morning, we'll be lucky if he even sticks his head in the fire for a quick chat. We'll see Grandmum and Grandpa, and we'll have to pretend to be nice when they pinch our cheeks. I fail to see how this is a _good _holiday."

"William Potter, you know that your father works _very _hard for us so that you can enjoy a life like this. When I was growing up…"

"You had to go to Hogwarts in tattered old robes with Bill's old wand and no pet, I _know_. Same old story, Mum…"

"Mummy, Mummy," Maya clamored, tugging at her sleeve. "Mummy, what did he mean you'll put presents under the tree? What 'bout Santa Claus, Mummy?"

"Santa Claus doesn't _exist_, idiot," Will told his little sister, a smirk on his face. Her face fell, and he felt a little guilty, but didn't say anything.

"_William James Potter, if you say one more word you will spend Christmas in your room._ Maya, dear, Will's just not enjoying Christmas. Of _course _Santa Claus exists, who do you think brings you all your lovely presents?"

A sniffling Maya allowed herself to be comforted by her mother, who was all the while glaring daggers at her eldest son.

"Maya, honey, why don't you go change and get ready for bed?" Ginny's voice was pained. "I'll be up in a minute, all right?"

"Yes, Mummy," Maya agreed, her tears quite forgotten. She scampered up to her room, and Ginny stared at her son, words leaving her.

When she finally spoke, her voice was soft. "Oh, Will…"

"_What_, Mum?" he asked, clearly irritated.

Ginny sighed. How could she tackle this sixteen-year-old boy who seemed to hate her? "Will, when did you get so angry? What makes you so angry at all of us?"

He shrugged, his head down.

"Maya _idolizes _you," Ginny continued quietly. "Can't you just try to be happy…if not for Dad and me, then for her? Can't you help make this Christmas special? She loves you so much; can't you just let her enjoy the holiday?"

Will didn't respond, and Ginny felt like crying. "Why are you so angry at us, Willie? What have we done?"

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why!" Will lashed out. "It's because of your husband, my _father_," – he said the world with disgust – "who can't even be bothered to come home for _Christmas_! It's because I see him maybe twice a year _at most_ because he's just _so _involved with his overseas work. It's because I hear you cry at night. It's because I see Maya scream with joy when she gets a letter from him, hoping against hope that it'll say he's coming up. It's because I see her crushed face when she learns it'll be another month, another year. It's because she's going to learn, like I did, that he's _not _a father – he's just a bloke that pops by every once in a while. _THAT'S WHY_!"

Ginny took a step back from her enraged son, who turned his face from her. "Will…I'm sorry…I had no _idea _you were feeling like this…" She reached her arms up to hold her much taller son, and stroked his hair. "I'm sorry, love…I know it's hard with your father gone, I know…"

Will felt his eyes sting with unshed tears, but he struggled to keep them back. He was sixteen, after all, nearly a man. It wouldn't do.

"He tries so hard, Will…he loves you so much, more than you could ever know…You and Maya are the apples of his eye," she comforting him softly.

"He doesn't care," Will mumbled. "If he cared, he'd come home."

"He _wants _to, Will, he really does…"

"If he wanted to badly enough, he would." Will extracted himself from his mother, and turned away. Ginny felt her heart would burst. "I'm going to bed."

"Good night," she said softly. He turned back, and kissed her cheek.

"'Night, Mum. I don't mean to be blaming you and Maya for this mess."

Ginny retired that night feeling worse than she ever had. How was she to explain to her sixteen year old boy how much his father loved him? That he wanted them to have everything they'd ever need, _that's _why he stayed away?

She had tried, time and time again, to convince him that what his children really needed was _him_. But his answer was always the same.

"Ginny, you and I both grew up with nearly nothing besides our basic needs," he told her. "I don't want our children to go through the same thing. I want them to have everything they could ever want."

She just couldn't manage to convince him that they could do without all these material things. It was his love they all coveted.

Sighing, she retired to bed, her heart heavy. Another Christmas Eve alone, she thought to herself. She understood where her son was coming from. Christmas wasn't _about_ the presents or the cards or the diamond Harry got her every year. It was about family. And _this _family was missing something very important.

She made up her mind that she'd write Harry soon and say he had to come home. Not only did she need him…Will did. Their family was coming apart at the seams.

Opening the door to her bedroom, her heavy eyes popped open.

There was someone in her bed. His back was towards her. Ginny pulled out her wand reflexively.

"Do _not _move," Ginny said clearly. "I am going to approach you – my wand is _out_ – and you will tell me your name and what business you have here."

She crept towards the person in her bed, nervously. She couldn't understand what was happening. She moved around to see his face, and gasped.

Dropping her wand, Ginny leapt into her husband's arms. "Oh, Harry!" she cried breathlessly. "What are you _doing _here?"

He was fighting a smile. "Trying to avoid getting attacked by my lovely wife, it seems," he said wryly.

Ginny couldn't keep the smile off her face. "You're _here_…for _Christmas_…oh, Harry, it's been _years _since we've spent Christmas together."

"Precisely why I'm here," Harry replied, nuzzling his wife's neck. "It's been far too long, and I missed my Ginny…besides, couldn't have you off having an affair with Draco Malfoy while I was gone…"

Ginny made a face. "Don't even joke about such things."

He smiled at her. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. "Ginny…I asked for a transfer."

Ginny sat straight up. "You _what_?"

"Yes, Gin. I'm home…for good."

The smile that lit up Ginny's face was so pure that he wished she was always this happy. "Merry Christmas, love."

"Oh, Harry," she whispered quietly, moving closer to him. "Thank you, so much. This is the best Christmas ever…"

He stroked her hair tenderly. "I've missed you so much…I think we may have to downsize, but we'll be all right."

"As long as we have you, Harry. That's all that matters. The rest will work itself out."

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Author's Note: Review, please! J 


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